Last



March 7, 1939. VSLEVAGGL JR I I 2,149,398

LAST

Filed Apr i1 28, 1956 l i'czor Z 61542711 J:

ENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES LAST Victor Levaggi, Jr., Brockton, Mass, assignor to United Last Company, Portland, Maine, a. corporation of Maine Application April 28, 1936, Serial No. 76,857

3 Claims.

This invention relates to lasts and is herein illustrated as embodied in lasts having forepart and heel portions which are relatively movable in order to shorten the last, thereby facilitating the 5 removal of a shoe therefrom. The invention is concerned particularly with a last having forepart and heel portions which are arranged to slide on each other and has for its object to v provide a last the portions of which} may be 10 quickly and securely locked in extended position and may also be readily released to permit the last portions to slide relatively to each other into their collapsed position. To this end the present invention, in accordance with one fea- 15 ture, provides improved means for releasably locking the forepart and'heel portions of a last including a yielding bonding member and a key member for operating the bonding member to set up a clamping pressure between the last por- 20 tions, the yielding features of the bonding member being utilized to effect a snap action whereby the release of the last portions is facilitated. As herein illustrated, the above-mentioned key member is adapted to be rotated and, when thus 35 operated, an eccentric portion of the key which engages the bonding member moves the latter laterally and longitudinally of the last and thereby causes the last portions to be securely drawn together.

30 These and other features of the invention will be more fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

35 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view thru the new and improved last and illustrating the sections in locked position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

40 Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of a part of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, illustrating in detail the link for locking the last parts.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the improved locking means apart from the last; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the forepart of the last.

50 Referring to the drawing, the last in which the invention is illustrated as embodied includes a forepart portion 8 (Fig. 6) and a heel portion 9, both being shown as made of hollow cast metal,

7 the former having a groove I the lower portion 55 of which has an enlargement at H, the groove In being shaped to receive a tongue l2 formed in the heel portion 9. The forepart and heel portions are thus arranged to slide on each other between their collapsed and extended positions and are always held in longitudinal alinement with each other.

The two portions 8 and 9 are releasably locked together by means comprising a yielding bonding member l3 positioned within a recess I l formed in the heel portion 9, as illustrated in Fig. 10

l, and having integral therewith a shaft l5 which, when the last portions are assembled, is inserted through the enlargement ll of the groove 59. The bonding member 53 is provided with a yielding head comprising a washer I6 loosely mounted on the shaft l5 and a spring ll interposed between the washer l6 and the head of a rivet or the like l8 fixed to the shaft l5.

For actuating the bonding member l3 to lock the last portions there is provided a member in 95: the form of a key l9 having an operating handle integral therewith. The key I9 is rotatably mounted in recesses formed in the heel portion 9 and projects through an opening 2i in the member I3, the portion of the key which engages the member l3 being suitably flattened so as to provide a surface which, when the key is in either of its extreme positions, engages one of the walls of the opening 2|, as illustrated in Fig. 4. For retaining the key l9 within the several recesses, there is provided a spring-pressed ball 22, which ball fits within a groove 23 formed in the lower part of the key l9. The spring-pressed ball 22 is held within the heel portion 9 by means of a set screw or the like 24.

In assembling the two last portions the washer l6 and shaft 15 of the member l3 are inserted within the enlargement H in the forepart. Then the tongue l2 of the heel portion 9 is inserted in the groove Ill and the elements I6, l8 within the cavity in the forepart. The last portions are then moved heightwise into alinement with each other, as illustrated in the full lines in Fig. 1, and the key l9, after being inserted in the heel portion 9 and through the opening 2|, is rotated from the position illustrated in full lines in Fig.

4 to the position illustrated in dotted lines, whereupon the bonding member I3 is moved transversely of the axis of the key l9 with a rocking motion into the position illustrated in dot-and-dash lines. Such movement of the link [3 causes it to be moved toward the heel por-- tion 9, stressing the spring I1 and thus causing clamping pressure to be set up between the last portions. The last portions are then locked and will remain in this position until the key [9 is rotated sufliciently to cause the member l3 to resume its normal position. This rotation of the key 59 is accelerated by the spring IT which causes a snap action of the member i3 to occur soon after it has been moved from its dotted line position, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

By the provision of the tongue-and-groove connections l2 and I0 between the last portions 8 and 9, the heel portion 9 may be moved upwardly when the member I3 is unstressed by sliding its tongue H2 in the groove I0, thereby causing the last to be collapsed or reduced in length so as to permit the disengagement of the heel of the shoe from the last and hence to facilitate the removal of the shoe from the last. The collapsed position of the last portions is illustrated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

From the above description it will be readily apparent that this invention provides a last formed of two sections which may be securely locked together and also may be readily collapsed to facilitate the removal of a shoe therefrom without liability of the shoe becoming torn or otherwise disfigured.

It is to be understood that this invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not exceed the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A last comprising forepart and heel portions mounted to slide on each other between extended and collapsed positions, locking and releasing means comprising a key rotatably mounted in one of said portions, and a bonding member connecting said key and the other portion, said key being constructed and arranged to move said bonding member transversely of the axis about which said key is rotated thereby to lock and release said portions.

2. A last comprising forepart and heel portions mounted to slide on each other between extended and collapsed positions, and means for locking said portions, said means comprising a 5 yielding bonding member arranged to engage one of said portions and a key member rotatably mounted in the other of said portions and arranged to cooperate with said bonding member to lock and release said portions when said key member is rotated. 1

3. A last comprising forepart and heel portions mounted to slide on each other, means for locking said portions comprising a member having a head underlying a part of one of said portions, a spring disposed between said head and part, and a key mounted in the other of said portions for operating said member to set up a clamping pressure between said portions.

VICTOR LEVAGGI, JR. 

